Saddle seat or the like



March 26, 1946. a E. O.HEARN 2,397,286

SADDLE SEAT OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 15, 1944 v38 5 ,f il

' IN E/EN TOR. 65096 5 E OfiEA/M tented Mar. 265 i946 iszzss NITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE I sannm siifil m m George E. OHearn, Gardner, Mass. Application January 15, 1944, Serial No. 518,314

3 01811118. I (CL 155-187) This invention relates to saddle seats for chairs, or similar articles, in-which the seat or other article is formed to conform to the body of the occupant.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a frame which is open and formed by front and rear members connected together by side members, there being a sheet of material of any nature such as leather, imitation leather, fabric, plastic, reed, cane web, etc., secured to the frame to overlie and cover one side only thereof, said sheet of material being preformed during manufacture of the article to conform to th shape desired. In the presentcase the shape is that of a saddle seat or the like but it may assume 'other forms. I

Further objects of the invention include th provision of a method of manufacturingsaddle seats or the like including the steps of providing a form made of wood or other suitable material in the shape desired, placing a, sheet of material over the curved contour of the form, applying an open frame to the sheet in such a manner that the sheet underlies the frame completely, applying pressure to the frame to clamp the material to the form to shape it thereto, and while the frame and material are clamped, securing the material to the frame as for instance by gluing or overlapping the edges of the frame and tacking the material thereto or by using clips, etc.,

so that the sheet receives and retains the shape of the form.

The corner blocks may be made separate as illustrated or may form integral parts of the frame.

A sheetof flexible material is secured to the frame in any desired manner such as by gluing, tacking, etc. and in some cases it may be desirable I to overlap the edges of the frame by the material as shown at 26 in Fig. 2 to give a smooth finished appearance to the seat. Th sheet of material covers the open frame at one surface only thereor and is shaped asv shown at 28 to conform to the body of the occupant of the seat, the deepest portion of the seat being at the rear thereof generall in the region of the corner blocks 20.

Layers of felt an or the like maybe used between the frame and the sheet of material to prevent creasing at the edges of the frame and to provid additional life and comfort to the seat. A built up pad 32 may be employed centrally of 20 front member iii to enhance the saddle shape of the seat, but this feature is not necessary to the invention, although it is desirable.

The corner blocks 20 will outline the seat to the shape of the body of the occupant and in combination with pad 32 will tend to maintain the saddle shape of the seat.-

The sheet of material used may be in the form of a continuous single sheet or a plurality of pieces may be employed to form a design or to so divide the seat centrally from front to back to 35 88. The sheet at is laid on the form and then open frame comprising a front member Ill, a rear member H which may be'notched at its ends at I4 to receive the rear legs of a chair, and side members it. This construction provides an open frame, the opening being indicated at l8. At the inside aspect of the rear member I! there are provided corner blocks'20 having concav surfaces 22 for a purpose to be described. Also if desiredthe rear member l2 may be out out at 24 to form a continuation of the curved surfaces 22.

during use. Sizing may. be employed to stiffenv the frame is placed on the sheet as illustrated. Pressure is then applied to the frame in a direction toward the form as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4 and this insures that the material 3! will conform to the form 84 and thus obtain the shape desired. While the pressure is maintained, the sheet 88 is secured to the frame in any manner desired, whereupon the frame is removedand the seat is complete. Subsequently,

played as for instance a row of ornamental tacks may be used to additionally secure the sheet to the frame about the curvature thereof as at 40 in Fig. 1. This will tend to prevent stretching the fact that the form provides for sumcient ma-v terial, and just sufficient material, for the. de-

sired shape.

however, additional fastening means may be emdepending in the manner shown in Fig. 2, from only one surface of the frame, it should not de pend below the opposite surface, although this does not affect or modify the inventive concept herein disclosed.

The article of manufacture as above described is inexpensive and yet strong and sturdy, it being pointed out that the securement of the material to the frame is easily accomplished by reason of the fact that the frame is clamped to the form 36 during this operation; and more important, the degree of material depression of the seat is auto matically determined by the form and not by the operator.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, othe than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising an a open frame having front and. rear members and side members connecting the same, corner pieces within said frame at the juncture 5 of said side members with the rear member, said corner pieces each having a rounded front portion and an upper dished surface inclined forwardly and downwardly, a flexible single-ply sheet covering the frame and being downwardly bulged and depend ing below the upper surface thereof into contact with said corner pieces and secured marginally to said frame members, the depth of'the sheet being greatest in an area inthe region of the rear member and said corner pieces.

. 2. A saddle seat or the like comprising an open frame having front andrear members and side members connecting the same, corner pieces within said frame at the juncture of said side members with the rear member, said corner pieces 3. A saddle seat or the like comprising an open 

